There are over 3,000,000 miles of legally established highways in the
United States, of which about 10 per cent are included in the State highway
systems, the remainder being county and other local roads. About 626,000
miles have been improved with some type of surfacing, comprising some 63
per cent of the State highway systems and 16 per cent of the local roads.
Of the improved roads about 102,000 miles are hard surfaced, comprising
about 22 per cent of the State highway systems and about 8 per cent of the
local roads.
While proper planning should materially reduce the listed mileage of public
roads, particularly in the agricultural districts, and turn these roads
back to useful purposes, it is evident that road construction must be a
long-continued program. Progress in improvement is about 50,000 miles of
all types per annum, of which some 12,000 miles are of the more durable
types. The total expenditures of Federal, State, and local governments last
year for construction and maintenance assumed the huge total of
$1,660,000,000.
Federal aid in the construction of the highway systems in conjunction with
the States has proved to be beneficial and stimulating. We must ultimately
give consideration to the increase of our contribution to these systems,
particularly with a view to stimulating the improvement of farm-to-market
roads.